Valletta conference highlights European citizens’ rights

VALLETTA | 30.07.2013 - The Malta-EU Steering and Action Committee (MEUSAC) – the official National Contact Point in Malta for the European Year of Citizens – on Tuesday held a conference about EU citizenship and the rights and responsibilities that come with it.

The conference focused on the EU Citizenship Report 2013 that the European Commission published in May of this year. The participants had the opportunity to discuss some of the twelve actions proposed in this report, namely “Removing obstacles for workers and trainees in the EU”, “Protecting the more vulnerable in the EU”, “Participating in the democratic life of the EU”, and “Targeted and accessible information in the EU”.

During her address, the Hon. Helena Dalli, Minister for Social Dialogue, Consumer Affairs and Civil Liberties said that the debate in society should focus on putting into practice the rights associated with EU citizenship for the benefit of citizens. She emphasised that, “One must bear in mind that citizens should feel these rights in their daily life.”

Head of MEUSAC Dr. Vanni Xuereb said: “EU citizens are encouraged to participate in fora on EU policies and issues. This conference was the right forum for those present to discuss issues arising from the Report of the European Commission: ‘EU Citizenship Report 2013 - EU citizens: your rights, your future’.”